


instinct

by Noa



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Animal Traits, Canon Compliant, Cute, Developing Relationship, Keaton bites Kaden for Reasons, Lots of Tail Wagging, M/M, Requested fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-08
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 01:54:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6496255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noa/pseuds/Noa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He just did what any friend would have done. </p><p>Probably.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. primal

“We’re lost again, aren’t we.” Kaden sighed. They’d been walking for hours.

Much as they both enjoyed their frequent forest adventures, neither Keaton nor Kaden were exceptional in the basic survival skill of finding your damn way. Keaton pretty much never even knew where _he_ was, and Kaden got distracted far too easily to stay on the path. It was kind of impressive when you thought about it, but that wouldn’t help them get home.

Keaton halted at Kaden’s remark, and pulled his hands from his pockets. He rubbed at the back of his neck as he glanced around the forest. For a moment, it looked like he knew what he was doing, but then he turned around, and offered Kaden a sheepish smile. Yep, completely lost. Kaden hung his head, and sighed again.

“I knew it. You really are hopeless at directions.” He said.

“Shut up.” Keaton huffed. “It’s not my fault that all these trees look alike! Besides, you didn’t even help-” Keaton cut off halfway through his sentence. His ears twitched. Kaden tilted his head, and gave Keaton a curious look.

“Keaton? What’s wrong?”

“Shh-” Keaton whispered, raising a hand to stop Kaden from talking. He lifted his chin a bit, and breathed in the air around them. He looked more serious than he had all day. “You smell that?”

Kaden sniffed, and frowned.

“I only smell you.” He said. “You should really groom more- _Ack!”_

The breath got knocked out of Kaden’s lungs when Keaton pounced him, using his entire bodyweight to slam him to the ground. When he opened his eyes, Keaton was on top of him, hovering on hands and knees, his fur bristled and his ears up, gaze flicking as he tried to look in every direction at once.

Kaden startled,  and tried to struggle, confused by Keaton’s sudden aggression. He’d never seen him like this before, and it was kind of intimidating. The soil felt damp and dirty beneath his body, and there were small lights flickering in the edges of his vision.

“Don’t move.” Keaton whispered harshly. Kaden opened his mouth to speak, to ask what the hell was going on, but he paused when he smelled something new. In the quiet, he heard footsteps that weren’t Keaton’s or his own. The flickering lights appeared to come closer, surrounding them.

That’s when Kaden realized those lights weren’t just flecks in his vision. They were eyes.

Wolfskin eyes.

His stomach turned.

Kitsune and Wolfskin weren’t normally aggressive towards each other. They had no business with each other, and typically minded their own business. Sometimes Wolfskin stole Kitsune’s dens, and in return Kitsune stole Wolfskin’s food, but these squabbles hardly ever ended in violence.

However, with the war, prey was scarce. Armies marched through Wolfskin habitats, cut down trees for supplies, and didn’t hesitate to strike down anyone who might stand up to defend their territory, sometimes wiping out entire packs. The packs that were still around had to contest with the humans for food, and often got their prey swiped by a pair of archers in the middle of a hunt. As a result, there wasn’t much left to hunt for themselves.

And when there was little to hunt, Kitsune became fair game.

Kaden knew this, he just never had to worry about it before. His village was hidden, and even if someone were to find it, there was safety in numbers. Besides, most Wolfskin knew better than to pick a fight with the chief Kitsune.

But Kaden wasn’t chief Kitsune right now. He was just a single stray fox, weakened by hours of lost wandering, and, if the smell was anything to go by, _very_ close to Wolfskin territory.

Icy fear crawled under Kaden’s fur. His lips twitched upward into a scared grin, instinct getting the better of him. The foreign footsteps came closer, and Kaden heard snarling, first soft, then louder. He looked up at Keaton, who was now baring his teeth.

Keaton’s eyes were wild when he looked down at Kaden, who felt his breath stop.

“Trust me,” Keaton growled, masking the sound in between snarls. Kaden could barely make out the words. “And go with it.”

Kaden swallowed, and nodded nervously, finally understanding what Keaton was trying to do. Whether he left or not, Keaton had obviously ranked high in his former pack, and Wolfskin respected rank. If he ran, he’d get chased, but if Keaton claimed him as prey, the other Wolfskin would have no choice but to accept it.

(Thinking of himself as prey made his throat go dry.)

Keaton looked threatening. Nothing like the perpetually flustered friend Kaden knew. Instead, he looked wild, like he did right before a battle, eager to hunt, ready to kill. Kaden didn’t have to fake his fear- his instincts were real and inescapable. He arched, tail lashing where it wasn’t trapped beneath his body, and his ears pulled back.

Around them, the Wolfskin got louder, until Keaton gave a particularly guttural snarl. Kaden’s head jerked when Keaton tore through his scarf, and Kaden thought he could hear a very tiny “Sorry” being whispered against his skin right before Keaton sunk his teeth into his throat.

Keaton’s bite was sharp. Pain pooled it like water that was too hot, or maybe that was his blood, and Kaden yelped, his body stuttering briefly before he remembered he was supposed to go with it. He squeezed his eyes shut, and let himself go limp. The sounds and scents around him all seemed to blur together, and exhaustion hit him like a truck. He could hear Keaton say something, he could feel his limbs drag against the dirt, but somehow, he couldn’t get his eyes open.

He really needed a nap.

When Kaden woke up, he wasn’t in the forest anymore. He rubbed his face, blinked a few times and took a look around. He was tucked in on a bedroll, a dish of water at his side, and not too far from that was Keaton, curled up into a posture that couldn’t be comfortable, snoring softly as he slept.

“Oh, thank goodness, you’re up.” Azura’s gentle voice drew Kaden’s attention. They must be back at the castle, then.  She came in carrying a plate of food, and Kaden’s stomach growled at the scent. When did he last eat? “Keaton told us what happened.” Azura continued, handing Kaden the plate. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. I think.” Kaden said, surprised by how ragged he sounded. When he sat up to eat, his body felt sore, and it his throat felt like he’d been barking for hours on end. “How,” Kaden looked over at Keaton. He didn’t look much better. “How’d we get back here?”

“He carried you.” Azura glanced at Keaton as she handed Kaden the food. If her expressions weren’t so difficult to read, Kaden might’ve thought that she was smiling. “He wasn’t too happy about it.” She added. “Said you went overboard whilst playing dead.”

“..Oh.” Kaden said dumbly. ‘Playing dead’ was a very gentle way of saying he hit the floor like a kit learning to walk.

Azura regarded him quietly for a moment. Kaden’s ears twitched, betraying that her inspecting stare made him feel somewhat nervous. He looked around the room again to avoid meeting her eyes, and spotted his scarf hanging over a stool.

Kaden’s hands immediately shot up to his throat, belatedly checking for blood, but when he touched his skin he found.. nothing. Not even a scratch. Confused, Kaden looked at his clean fingers.

“We healed you when you arrived,” Azura explained, chiming in carefully as if she was trying to calm an animal gone berserk. “You two are both fine. It seems Keaton avoided your arteries with stunning precision. ”

Both Azura and Kaden looked at Keaton, who was still snoozing without a care in the world. Kaden frowned at the sight.

“I should let you rest.” Azura brushed her dress down before turning to the door. “I’ll come back later.”

Kaden nodded, his frown fading when his face got caught in a yawn. “Thanks, Azura.” He mumbled, his eyes already slipping shut.

They didn’t close entirely until he’d taken another look at Keaton, though.


	2. core

Kaden woke up to something cold at his neck. He stirred, and blinked his eyes open to find Keaton launching himself to the other side of the room, looking incredibly startled. Before Kaden could ask what was going on, Keaton started stuttering.

“I-I wasn’t sniffing you or anything!” He said. Kaden gave him a confused look.

Huh.

Kaden sat up slowly, and brushed his hair down with his fingers. Man, his fur probably looked awful after all this. He was going to need some serious grooming. Sluggish from sleep and distracted on several levels, Kaden just kind of spaced out for a bit. Keaton, seemingly relieved that he didn’t get called out on the sniffing that he definitely didn’t do, came closer again. There was a cup of water by the bedside, and Keaton pushed it towards Kaden, quietly telling him to drink. Kaden took the hint- and the cup.

“How’re you feelin’?” Keaton asked after Kaden had taken a few sips.

“I’m fine.” Kaden said, offering the cup back to Keaton, who drained the rest of its contents with a large gulp.

“Good.” Keaton said, but then he corrected himself to: “I wasn’t worried.”

Kaden stared at him momentarily, watched as Keaton flustered and avoided his gaze. He’d never understand the appeal of constantly pretending not to care about anything. He guessed Keaton managed it alright, though. It was kind of charming when he did it.

...That was a new thought. Keaton huffed, his tail swishing, and he cleared his throat.

“So if you’re fine, I’m gonna go now.” He stated. “I was only keeping watch for Azura.”

“Okay.” Kaden said, ignoring how Keaton appeared hurt at Kaden’s casual response.

Yet, despite his words, Keaton didn’t move. And Kaden didn’t mind.

*

Things went back to normal fast. Keaton and Kaden both attended the next War Council, and after some discussion it was decided that for now, hunting was to be done with at least 4 people. As an added safety measure, Kaden was discouraged from going into the forest alone.

Kaden was pretty bummed out by that. Some of his favorite nap spots were in the forest, and his ears drooped at the thought of having to miss out on some quality snoozing. After talking it over with Corrin and a few others, Kaden decided to do some extra training. After all, a strong fox made an awful target, and it never hurt to brush up on his self-defense versus Wolfskin.

Although, after a straight three hours of sparring with Keaton, he _was_ starting to get a little sore.

In matching veils of light, both Keaton and Kaden transformed back to their human bodies. They sat in the shade of a nearby tree, stretching out and catching their breath. Kaden took the opportunity to do some post-battle grooming, while Keaton went on a mini treasure hunt around the training grounds.

Kaden kept finding his eyes drawn to Keaton. The Wolfskin had no idea he was being watched, lost in his own little world as he searched the ground a bit further up ahead, ears pointed, tail wagging.

It was hard to believe that that very same Keaton had his teeth at Kaden’s throat no less than two days ago. Kaden let himself sink a bit deeper in the embrace of his (mended) scarf- thinking of that afternoon made him shiver.

Though not quite in fear.

Because whenever he thought about what happened that day, he didn’t think of the hostile Wolfskin. He didn’t think of how apparently, he’d been in serious danger. He didn't remember how terrified he was. Instead, the memories haunting him were focused around Keaton. Keaton with his fur bristled, Keaton with his eyes wild. Keaton trapping him with his body, while deep, threatening snarls rolled off his tongue.

Inside of Kaden, the smallest little candle lit up.

It was.. _exciting_. Probably the adrenaline, Kaden decided, the rush of having to literally run for your life. Even though Keaton did most of the running.

(Kaden still had no clue how Keaton found his way back to camp that day. When asked, Keaton shrugged to hide his very obvious pride, and said his sense of direction wasn’t as bad as everyone believed. He was right about that, but only because his actual sense of direction was _worse_ than everyone believed, and as such, the answer to Kaden’s question remained a mystery.)

Maybe Kaden underestimated Keaton. For someone who didn’t care about looks or grace, Keaton had a surprisingly smooth battle form. His transformed body was much bigger than Kaden’s, packing incredible force, and yet he carried it with poise, managed to direct its strength with scary accuracy. Keaton was all rough edges and silly grins, and Kaden surprised himself with it, but.

He actually found him quite beautiful.

Kaden pulled a face when he realized where his thoughts had gone. Weird. He snapped out of it just in time, because Keaton returned with a hand full of special finds, and took Kaden’s silence and dreamy stare as approval of his newest treasures.

“Ha, I knew it!” Keaton beamed, and Kaden couldn’t find it in his heart to let Keaton know he wasn’t actually interested, and had just been spacing out. “Here, you can have this one.” Keaton placed a small, flat pebble in Kaden’s hand like he was handling something priceless. Kaden blinked down at the stone, and turned it between his fingers. It felt surprisingly soft to the touch (and looked surprisingly clean to have gotten Keaton’s attention).

And rather than reject it like the many other offers Keaton had made in the past, Kaden closed his hand around the little pebble, and smiled.

“Thanks, Keaton.” He said. Keaton immediately averted his eyes, and ran a hand through his hair.

“I have a lot them already, so, it’s not really a big deal.” He muttered. “A-anyway, we should get back to sparring.”

Kaden nodded, and let Keaton pull him back up on his feet.

*

Kaden’s fascination with Keaton only seemed to grow, and the flame inside him grew with it.

It wasn’t just adrenaline fueled memories anymore. Kaden kept noticing more and more things about Keaton that had slipped him by before. Like the particular way his ears twitched when he was trying to listen closely, and how his nose wrinkled when he smelled something new. By now, it was probably safe to assume Kaden’s interest had little to do with the incident at the forest, nor his recent lessons on defending himself against Wolfskin.

No, it was all Keaton, and in turn, Kaden was left confused.

Not because he’d begun to like Keaton. He didn’t mind that so much. What confused Kaden was how long it took for him to notice just how likable Keaton was.

And sure, Keaton could still do with a bit more regular grooming, but.

Kaden didn’t mind doing it for him, the two of them by a quiet stream on a sunny morning right after drills. Keaton’s tail splashed in the water as he tried his hardest not to wag it while Kaden combed through with his fingertips.

“You’re getting us both wet.” Kaden sighed. He might as well have jumped into the stream- the results would have been the same. Keaton’s ears drooped slightly, and he crossed his arms.

“Hey, this is your fault! You wanted to groom my tail.” Keaton argued, a tiny little bark in his voice that made the fire inside Kaden flicker.

“Sit still, I’m almost done.” Kaden instructed. Keaton huffed, but did as he was told.

A few moments later, Kaden proudly let go of Keaton’s tail. “All done!”

Keaton was impressed. His tail looked softer and glossier than it had in his entire life. “Whoa.. It looks so different.”

“That’s called _clean_.” Kaden teased, grinning. Keaton pulled a face, and whipped his tail at the water, ‘accidentally’ splashing at Kaden. Kaden yelped, and retaliated, reaching out to swipe some water right back at Keaton- who was already pulling up his sleeves. Kaden kicked his shoes off towards the nearest tree.

Moments later, the quiet morning air rang with sounds of laughter and water, no shortage of either as Kaden and Keaton played by the stream until they were completely drenched.

Chests heaving and fur dripping, they laid side by side in the grass, still snickering as the midday sun did her best to help them dry. Kaden wiped stray droplets from his eyes with his arm, and wheezed.

“We’re going to have to bathe again. My work is ruined.” He pouted, but he didn’t sound that upset. Keaton laughed.

“What are you talking about? Can’t get much cleaner than this. Not even you.” He said, turning his head sideways to look at Kaden with a silly grin. Kaden frowned, then sighed, and Keaton sighed too. Both of them resumed staring up at the clouds, and Kaden realized he felt strangely warm for someone who just got soaked to the bone.

He’d been feeling warm a lot recently. Especially when Keaton was around.

They fell asleep like that, and woke up sore and freezing (napping in wet clothes would do that for you). They raced each other back to the castle grounds for fresh clothes and a hot meal, and afterwards Keaton decided that since Kaden got to groom him, he got to groom Kaden. It was only fair.

Kaden didn’t argue.

Inside by the fire, they sat on the floor opposite to each other, Kaden’s tail curled in front of his body so Keaton could reach. Keaton squinted as he ran his hands through Kaden’s fur. He wasn’t sure how to go about grooming when there weren’t any leaves, bugs or twigs to pick out. Not even a single speck of dust.

“My tail must be pretty boring to you, huh?” Kaden said, breaking the silence between them. Keaton looked up, and Kaden stared as the soft glow of the fire wrapped around his features like a beautiful blanket.

“I just don’t get why you spend so much time grooming when it’s already this pretty.” Keaton said.

Something inside Kaden flared up. He wasn’t really sure what to say though, and the silence made Keaton overly self-aware.

“Clean, I mean.” He backpedaled, speaking quietly. “Way too clean.”

Kaden watched Keaton’s face as Keaton stared holes in the floor. Watched how Keaton bit his lip, how he fought that trademark fluster rising up from his shoulders to his cheeks. Watched his ears turn towards the crackling of the fire.

And on a whim, without really thinking about it, Kaden leant forward and gave Keaton’s ear a tiny lick.

Keaton’s eyes widened in surprise, fingers freezing in Kaden’s fur. “Uh-”

“I missed a spot.” Kaden said, like it explained everything. He hadn’t sat back yet, still leaning close, and while Keaton frowned, he made no move to turn away either.

“But you only groomed my tail.” Keaton said, expression somewhere between confused and curious, the tail in question wagging cautiously behind him. “Not my ears.”

“Yeah,” Kaden said. “That’s the spot I missed.”

Keaton turned redder than Kaden had ever seen him before, but this time, he didn’t look away. Instead, he seemed to think about something, brows furrowed slightly. Then he leant in, just as sudden as Kaden had, and gave a quick lick to Kaden’s ear in return. He was about to pull back when Kaden grabbed his sleeve, and held him near. When Keaton stilled, Kaden relaxed his grip, and let his fingers slide down Keaton's arm until they found his hand. Keaton leant in again, slow and hesitant, and Kaden met him halfway.

Their foreheads touched, breaths mingling through parted lips, and the warmth Kaden felt all over wasn’t just from the fire anymore. It didn’t stop at his skin either, sinking into his blood, his bones, and it made his heart beat faster. Keaton smelled like water and coal.

Kaden closed his eyes.

Carefully, he tilted his head. Keaton followed. Their noses brushed together, Keaton’s fingers curled around Kaden’s hand, and when their lips touched, time seemed to stop.

Their kiss was cautious at first, fragile, like they’d catch fire if they did this wrong, until Keaton found the right angle at which to press closer- Kaden melted into the heat of his mouth, pressed closer too, and Keaton whined softly.

When they parted, they were still holding hands, and Keaton’s tail was wagging like crazy. Kaden glanced at it and chuckled, earning a grumbled “Shut up” before Keaton kissed him again, a bit less hesitant, just as sweet.

“I can’t help it.” Keaton mumbled when they parted. Kaden used his free hand to stroke down Keaton’s jaw.

“Me neither.” He said.

_-fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, these two are hard to write together. ..Cute, though.
> 
> My AO3 profile now has a link to a Tumblr post with a list of what I'm currently writing, [for those interested](http://nothingbutcinders.tumblr.com/post/142473678426/currently-writing).

**Author's Note:**

> So [RubyLeo](http://archiveofourown.org/users/RubyLeo/pseuds/RubyLeo) requested Keaton/Kaden, and I started with cutesy alternate supports but then this happened and man let me tell you this idea got away from me. Thus, two chapters.
> 
> This is what happens when I don't have a prompt. I apologize.


End file.
